An email titled “Cheque for Police" was sent by NDS’s then deputy head of Operational Security, Len Withall, to “Joan" with a request that the payment be authorised by Ray Adams, the company’s former head of Operational Security in the UK.

“Over the last six months I have been doing some work with the Surrey Police. In our budget under code 880110 there is an amount of money set aside for payment to Police/Informants for assistance given to us in our work," the email says.

“With Ray’s [Adams’] authority could you please make out a cheque in the sum of ?2000 (two thousand pounds) payable to the SURREY POLICE and forward it to my office. When passed over to the police I will let you have the receipt."